Phoenxville school district revamps Halloween parties with good reason

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The gust of air that you just heard was not the October wind whipping through the trees shedding their leaves, but out sigh of disappointment over news from the Phoenixville Area School District. Starting this year, individual elementary schools will be steered away from Halloween-costumed events and directed towards generic “fall theme day” activites.

It is not so much, however, any disagreement with the policy as expressed recently by Phoenixville Superintendent Alan Fegley. His reasons for the change in focus seem reasoned, and reasonable.

No, our disappointment comes from the notion of Halloween parties, or frankly, any parties, that take up our school time.

According to Fegley, a number of the elementary school principals came to him with their concerns regarding Halloween celebrations for Oct. 31.

On the days scheduled for Halloween activities in the past, he learned, the absentee rate in the elementary schools spiked from its regular 4 percent to 9 percent, more than double by our calculations.

Although alternate activities were set up for students that were not allowed to celebrate Halloween for various reasons by their parents or guardians, Fegley said absenteeism still prevailed.

Fegley said the absentee rate was the “initial, overriding” reason for the district-wide change, but he named several others that factored in.

“There was unhealthy competition for the costumes and treats that were being provided,” Fegley said. Making other students not feel good because they can’t afford the costume or can’t have it made, that’s just something the district just thought was not worth having to go through.”

We agree. In the Phoenixville area, there are a wide range of economic groups, and its stands to reason that some children would not be able to match the price and quality of other students’ costumes. Children being who they are, some sense of inferiority is bound to emerge.

But although Halloween itself will not be celebrated, Fegley said that will not make Oct. 31 a regular, open books, pencils up school day. Each elementary class will continue to have a fall festival, including a celebration at the end of the day.

At the risk of not sounding too harsh, we having a feeling that celebrations can get in the way of the business of school, which is to learn. Perhaps the focus should be shifted away from this indoor recreation to more scholastic efforts.